1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a display panel for mounting to canopy supports on a golf cart.
2. Description of the Related Art
The sport of golf has grown significantly over the past decade in terms of public interest and participation as a recreational sport. In many markets there is a lack of capacity in the number of golf courses to handle the increased demand of golfers and securing a tee time is difficult at best. Golf courses are being built at a rate not seen in the past in order to serve a higher per capita percentage of the population.
The typical golfer reflects a high-end demographic with the financial means to afford a wide range of products and services. The golf audience is therefore a market that is very appealing to many businesses for advertising goods and services. Assuming a typical round of golf takes about five hours to play and that most golfers playing twice a week if not more, it would be desirable to present advertising to a golfer during the course of play of a round of golf. The advantage of such advertising is that a message is targeted to a desirable demographic audience that is captive for an extended period of time resulting in a lasting impact. This length of impression likely cannot be found with other media venues, for example, newspaper, magazine, or billboard advertising.
Some devices have been suggested for reaching such an audience on the golf course. One system in particular is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,181. This reference describes a display panel for attaching to a golf cart with two frames in which advertising messages can be displayed. A partitioned frame is sandwiched between two transparent panel sheets, which are held together by screws or bolts through a plurality of holes drilled through the perimeter of the display panel. Significant disadvantages of this system include the exposure of the advertising material to moisture seeping into the display panel through the bolt holes and seams between the frame and transparent panels and other ink and paper degrading weather conditions; the instability of the mounting methodologies; and the difficulty of removing and replacing the advertising messages within the display panel.
The information included in this Background section of the specification, including any references cited herein and any description or discussion thereof, is included for technical reference purposes only and is not to be regarded subject matter by which the scope of the invention is to be bound.